Having seen thousands of spectators lining the streets of Northamptonshire last year, the Friend’s Life Women’s Tour is set to return to the county in 2015, according to the Northamptonshire Herald and Post.

The inaugural race passed through Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Sussex in 2014, with Marianne Vos taking the overall victory.

>>> Friends Life Women’s Tour seeking “consolidation” and “growth” in 2015

Orica-AIS rider Emma Johansson pipped Vos to the line in Northampton on stage one, with Hannah Barnes taking third.

The race took part in May and was shown on ITV4, but organisers SweetSpot have moved the 2015 edition to June 17-21 and hinted that some of the 2014 hosts will be visited again.

“We’ve always said that the event is a regional five-day race and that to begin with it would take place in the south east,” event director Guy Elliott said in October.

“These areas took a leap of faith welcoming us in our first year, and we want to reward them for that. We may try and find a few more hills this time, though!

“The teams liked the geographical position of the event. It meant they could travel to and from England quickly, easily and without paying too much to do so.”

Source: Northamptonshire Herald and Post